Appendix
The
Overseas Cornish
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1. Cornwall ’s geographical position,jutting westwards into the Atlantic,
has long provided the means to produce generations of fine seafarers. 2. Historically,the sea has proved to be Cornwall’s most effective means
of communication. Journeys by sea to the other Celtic nations of Brittany, Wales
and Ireland were much easier and quicker than journeys to, say, London. 3. Cornwall developed strong cultural,economic and family links with its
natural cousins in Brittany, Wales & Ireland. These countries also had
strong connections with the sea and their seamen established early settlements
in the New World. 4. The East Coast of North America is proliferated with Cornish place names.
(Three places called ‘Cornwall’ in Connecticut, two in Pennsylvania and one
in Maine.) The Historical Society in Cornwall, Connecticut 06753, records that
its creation began in 1731 and it was incorporated as a town in 1740. Earlier
still,the County of Cornwall 5. Following the steady flow of Cornish settlers to North America during the
17th and 18th centuries there was a distinct change in emigration from Cornwall
during the mid 1800s. After the collapse of the mining industry many Cornish
miners, artisans and merchants were forced to seek employment overseas. Over the
next fifty years hundreds of thousands of Cornish men, often with their
families,set out to make a living abroad. 6. The main destinations were the mining areas of North America, South
Africa and Australia. Smaller numbers went to South America,Mexico,India,Spain
and anywhere that required skilled miners. 7. This scattering has produced a Cornish Diaspora which is unequalled by
any county in England. In addition to their skills the Cornish established their
culture, religion and community life in the nether regions of the world. They
taught football and wrestling in Mexico and pasty making 14,000 feet up in the
Andes. 8. Maybe the most important significance of the Cornish ‘colonies’ was
their distinct Cornishness. Uprooted from their villages in Cornwall their
occupants chose to keep together as they would have done at home. Houses (see
Mineral Point WI) were built to designs similar to those in Cornwall. Not only
did their Methodist God go with them but the Cornish built chapels as living
representations of those which they had sadly left behind.Research in the towns
of Maine and New Hampshire has revealed no less than a hundred names of Cornish
origin. 9. As soon as they arrived the new settlers formed themselves in Cornish
societies where they could gather and obtain succour as a community. The Cornish
societies of Randfontein and the Transvaal have histories going back to the
earliest days of the Cornish pioneers. Today the proud descendants of these
Cornish pioneers around the world have formed even more societies and
associations to strengthen the ties with their homeland. The societies often
have memberships in excess of 500. They exist in North America (34), South
Africa (1) and Australia, New Zealand 10. The Cornish communities in the new lands are just as nationalist as one
would expect of the Eastern Europeans and the Chinese. These communities are
treated today with respect by other nationals. An old Czechoslovak once said to
me in America, “Ah the Cornish, they were the ones who could read and
write”. 11. When the first settlers and their children died there was a moment to
remember their birthplace. 12. In North America there are biennial gatherings of the Cornish at different locations.They are attended by several hundred people to research their genealogical and other links Randfontein Cornish Association Rugby Football Club,1912 Cornish gravestone in Western Australia. The gravestone was made in Penzance, Cornwall. The Cross of St Piran can be found anywhere in the world. Here it is proudly flying at the North Pole. |
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